A. Field of the Invention
This relates to the protection of a structure during periods of inclement weather, specifically the protector of windows. One danger during periods of inclement weather is the danger from flying objects as they impact a window. This can be devastating in terms of damage to the window itself as well as to the interior of the structure not to mention any individuals who happen to be in the building.
One of the traditional ways of protecting the windows and therefore protecting the interior is to insert plywood sheets or some other barrier device over the windows. A drawback to the installation of plywood specifically is that when the plywood becomes wet it will warp and, therefore, must be discarded after one use. Another problem with a plywood type structure is the difficulty installing the plywood because of its weight and relatively awkward size. This device is designed to be reusable, is easily installed and covers the entire window.
B. Prior Art
There are many other prior art references related to window shutter systems, some which require modification to the frame of the window and some which require installation of permanent devices on the outside structure of a house. In the current application the device allows the user to adjust the fit of the device to the window using a set of retractable panes of protective covers. Representation examples of this type of device in the prior art include Golen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,221, Knezevich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,270 and Figueiredo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,903. None of the prior art references, however, use the same means to retract the protective covers to fit any sized window.
There are many other types of window protection devices in the prior art but none use an internal set of gears to position the protective covers over the area of the window that is to be protected.